Tips For Creating Buying Power Product Review Videos

Posted on February 10, 2013 by shari

If your site/blog is all about product reviews, then you know that you should be investing your time in making videos. There is nothing better than watching a product in action.

You don’t own a professional film studio or have the budget to rent one? That is ok. There are ways to produce great quality videos without spending thousands on filming and editing. However, keep in mind that if you are going to do this yourself, you are going to have to invest in some software and probably a good clip on microphone.

Storyboard Your Video

Sketch out a simple storyboard of your video before you film. I like to use PowerPoint to do this. Have your selling points clearly defined.

Don’t waste time and telling your viewer about you, introduce yourself and get to the product. Please, don’t read a script. If you have used the product and now it well enough to review it, then it should come out natural. Just imagine your best friend is in the room and you are demoing it for them.

Create a branded intro and outro for all of your videos (keep them short) and always include a call to action at the end.

Make It Short And Sweet

How long would you want to watch a video for? Not long. The best length for product review videos is between 1.50-2.00 minutes. Don’t go longer than that. Choose the best features of the product and give your viewers unique insight on those features. Your credibility is a selling point; remember to always include a “con” as in the opposite of a “pro”, no product is 100% perfect

Quiet On Set

Background noises kill a great video. Make sure the AC and other appliances are turned off while recording oh and time it so the local train isn’t pulling their horn while you are filming your descriptive.

Manicure (for the guys too)

You never want to see narwly hands and nails. If your hands are going to be in the frame – then get a mani – women go for a French manicure and men, have your cuticles cut and nails filed. Jewelry should be kept to a minimum too, unless you are pitching engagement rings!

Editing

Editing is an art-form, however if you have your format down pat and you follow your storyboard you can do it.

Still shots – keep them to no longer than 3 seconds
Don’t overdose on fancy crossovers or fade-ins, keep it simple and clean.
Shaky hands – use a tripod. If you are filming a demo on the table or at a lower height I suggest using a Gorillapod.

Software

There are many video editing softwares available today. The average product reviewer should choose something that has an intuitive user-friendly interface. Most of the software out there is available for demo or time limited downloads. Try them out first before purchasing. In addition the help and support is very important when choosing software. Check online to see if there is crowd sourced “help” forums to go to when questions arise and they will.

I use Sony Vegas, there might be better ones out there but I have used it for years and I know my way around.

Here are some other editing software that will also do the trick:

Send us a link to your favorite video product review that you produced, we would love to see it. How do you make your videos?

5 Top Tips for Writing Calls to Action

Posted on January 27, 2013 by shari

If you want to sell, you must give your customer a call to action to act upon. If you want to grow your blog following, you’ll need to do the same thing.

1. Contact Me

Do you have your contact information in your reader’s face, above the fold? Yes! Is it out there where they can see it and don’t have to spend time looking for it? Great! Call to action: Ask them to email you if they have questions or ideas. Some people prefer to communicate by email and not be exposed in comments.

2. Social Media

Social media icons are great and a must-have on your blog, on every page and post. Don’t be afraid to give them a push, ask them to follow you on Twitter and tell them they can find you Facebook or Pinterest. In addition, it is not enough to have the links; be bold, be big, be creative with your CTAs. Remember big buttons with bold graphics and colors work. Here is a great post about CTA guidelines and buttons from Hongkiat.com.

Alternatively, write “If you liked this post, share it with your friends on Twitter and Facebook.” Remember to hyperlink the platforms to make it easy for them. Don’t make them work hard! There are WordPress plugins that will help you on this one so that you never forget to do it.

3. Encourage Comments

The comments are under the fold, and you will have a CTA there, but don’t wait until the end of the post; ask them for their opinions, their suggestions, and their experience within the blog post.

The last lines of your post should always have a call to action, such as, “What did you think of the topic? Let me know in the comments below”

4. Email Signatures

Every time you send an email, your signature is there with all of your links. A great idea is to include a question or a link to your latest post, with a teaser – a call to action – making them want to drop everything and go read it now.

5. Consistency Across the Board

Everywhere and anywhere that you have a profile (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Quora, G+, Pinterest, ANYWHERE!) include all of your links. The wording should be consistent, and the branding should be the same.

Final Thoughts on Calls to Action:

Remember to be very clear about the action you want them to take.

Make it easy for them. Don’t make them work hard. Have all your links in place.

10 Tips for Promoting Your Blog on Facebook

Posted on January 17, 2013 by shari

Facebook is still growing can you believe it? And still, there are a lot of bloggers who are not using Facebook on a daily basis to promote their blog.

Tips for promoting your blog on Facebook

Cover Photo – use the header for your blog as the cover image and if you change them on your blog then change them on Facebook. Show people what your blog is all about, but don’t go overboard with text, visuals visuals.
Profile image – That should be of you. Yes you.
Set your settings in your admin panel to allow other people to post on your wall. You want to create a conversation remember!
Use the highlight and pin at top feature. For example if you post every other day then pin highlight the post when you first post about it and then when you want to post again pin the status about the blog on the top until the next time post something from your blog.
About – fill it in! Include a short description about your blog, include all of your social links and include a way that they can contact you.
When you update your status with a blog post, use enticing descriptives. Create curiosity so that they will want to click on the link.
Facebook is once again rolling out improved image viewing capabilities, why? Images work. Use less text and more images with your links.
Share other people’s posts!
Post on other people’s walls relevant information and include links.
Link your comments on your blog to your Facebook page. Here’s a great article reviewing WP plugins for commenting

How are you promoting your blog on Facebook? Share your tips and ideas with us.

PalTip New Year’s Resolutions 2013

Posted on December 30, 2012 by shari

Happy New Year!

2012 for PalTip was great! We launched the PalTip website, released the first version of the PalTip system, opened the doors for beta users, and created a WordPress Plugin, which makes life as a tipping blogger, even easier. Yes, it has been a year of working hard to make it easier for you, to make money!

So what is going to happen in 2013? Lots!

PalTip New Years Resolutions:

We are dedicated to making PalTip better.
We are planning new a “bank” full of new features, options.
We are working to bring new awesome partners on board.
We are committed to listening to you! Your feedback is really important to us.
We are developing an easier and faster PalTip, which means more money for you!

Here are some of our best tips for you from the past year that will help you in the upcoming year:

What are your resolutions?

Do you have a goal that you want to meet? Is it financial or is it how many posts you are going to write a week, or how many items you are going to tip a day?
Are you going to use your time more effectively? (That’s an easy one if you use the PalTip Plugin)
Are you going to take a day off (more often) to enjoy life, your family, your friends and rejuvenate?
Are you going to focus on activities that will make you more money?
Improve your SEO?

And now on a personal level, here is my list:

Enjoy the little things in life.
Do more RAK (random acts of kindness).
Smile more (even when I don’t want to).
Send handwritten thank you notes.
Watch at least 2 TED talks a week on random subjects.

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

3 Tips For a Blog That Will Show You the Money!

Posted on November 24, 2012 by shari

We hear it all the time – “I want to make money.” So many bloggers, especially affiliate bloggers, are under the impression that the money, big money starts to roll in the minute you start blogging. This is when reality sets in; it doesn’t! The money will come but it takes time, sometimes a long time. Once you are established, it should start and the stream should flow!

Be Good

Making your blog into a “superstar” is just that – making, and by making, we mean work! You need to know your market’s needs, passionately create content for your niche ,and promote your blog on the right platforms.
• Don’t overload your readers with products.
• Promote your blog using several traffic sources.
• Research the demand of the product.

Talk to Them!

When your goal is to make money from your blog, your blog is all about your readers, and you must talk to them. If they comment, comment back, if they tweet you – retweet, tweet them back, and mention them in a tweet. This applies to Facebook too, answer them, message them, and of course email – never ignore an email from a reader. Even if the comments, tweets, or emails are negative, you still have to communicate with them! Remember your blog and your work on all the various platforms is a two-way street; your readers want to feel that they are heard and that you value their comments. On public platforms, do not engage those who are negative without any substantive feedback. Just say ‘I’m sorry you feel that way’ and let it go at that.

Promote Good Products

That probably sounds like a no brainer, but you see it all the time; people promote garbage! Don’t!
Promote products that you believe in, that you have used, or that you want to have. Promote products that you can write about with a clear conscience. That said, you should also remember that no product is 100% perfect. Always try to include the cons in every blog post; give a balanced review, and your readers will appreciate it.

Please share your tips for success with us!

Thanksgiving Is Down The Road And Christmas Is Around The Corner

Posted on November 21, 2012 by shari

As soon as the kids go back to school, I start to think about Thanksgiving that of course makes me think of Christmas and then New Years, oh those resolutions. How am I going to review, recommend, blog and blast, together with holiday preparations and activities? Every year the same question. Every year it eventually gets done but this year I want to have less white hair by January 1st.

What’s the secret?

Organization!

Quantum leap – Before we even talk about Thanksgiving let’s decide on our New Year’s Resolution NOW!

This is my list

1. Be nicer to one’s self. If you want to be super-human and take care of your family, of your home and your business, you have to take care of yourself. Eat better, sleep more and pamper regularly.
2. Be nicer and listen better to the people around me.
3. Pre organize – everything.
That’s it, those are my resolutions.
So the first and second are simple to comprehend and even to execute. The third is a little more difficult but hopefully these tips will help you.
1. Start writing your posts now for those busy weeks and here are some ideas for posts that work all the time:

The a-z guide….
Top 5, 7 10 tips for….
Down memory lane – take an old post and update it with new content linking to the original post
Use automated services like Storify or
Get personal – A day in the life of YOU
Guest blogs
Book Reviews
Events – What events are you planning on going to?
How to…..
Links – yes links your favorite links to….
Photographic essay

2. Make sure that your editorial calendar is ready for the next 4 months and not the usual month.

3. Take pictures. A new blogger recently asked me why they need a Smartphone with a good camera on it; she said that it was an expensive toy. Yes, it is an expense (and probably an expense that you can use for the company) but it is a business tool. A very good tool. No matter what niche you are in, you need images. Use your own. Snap away. You never know when you will be looking for an image of a rain puddle (recommending rubber boots?) or an image of the line in the supermarket (the love of online grocery stores).

4. Use your time wisely. Spend less time going through the back office of affiliate sites and use the PalTip plugin. Just put the partner link in the blog and the plugin will do the work for you.

5. If you are planning an email marketing campaign or even a Season’s Greeting card get it done before Thanksgiving. Write your copy and book the photographer. The earlier you get it done the better. All you will have to do is click on the send button.
(Don’t forget that many of your readers open their mail on their phones. Make sure your greeting card is mobile friendly.)

What are your tips for pre-scheduling your holiday work load? Share them with us, we love to learn from others.

Dress For Success! PalTip Store Review

Posted on October 28, 2012 by shari

Young professionals are following the trend of old money dressing. If you want to dress for success at reasonable prices the place to start is http://www.ctshirts.com

Charles Tyrwhitt started his business in 1986 and as he says it was because “I thought I could make a shirt better than anybody else” All of their items are built to last using only the finest of materials. Today you can find Charles Tyrwhitt online and in retail outlets in the UK, France, USA and Canada.

Charles Tyrwhitt is all about shirts

100% Guarantee

Charles Tyrwhitt offers a unique warranty. They have a six month full no questions asked warranty. You can return your purchase for an exchange or a full refund. Please note that they have a sale guarantee, if you purchase something on sale you only have 14 days for a return.

Shipping

Charles Tyrwhitt ships in the US to Europe and everywhere else in the world. Shipping times depend on where you are shipping to and which shipping process you choose (regular or expedited).

If you want to talk to them, you can use their easy contact form on their website, call them or hit them up on Twitter @ctshirts or on Facebook

We are proud to have Charles Tyrwitt as PalTip Partners

Earn A $1 A Friend

Posted on September 29, 2012 by shari

Today is a special day at PalTip! As of today, for each of your friends that register on PalTip, you will be credited $1.

Let’s do the math – how many friends do you have on Facebook? The average Facebook user has 229 friends. But hold on, we are not just talking about Facebook friends, you can invite your friends by email and by sharing your unique link you can invite friends to join from anywhere that you can post a link.

How does it work?

Login to your PalTip account on the home page, to the right you will see “invite your friends” click on that and start inviting. Every time one of your friends registers to PalTip, PalTip will credit your account $1. Hey those dollars can add up. We are sure that there is something that you want, now, you can spoil yourself, or pay it forward and donate the funds to your favorite charity!

Why should your friends register?

Just like you, they probably mention, recommend, or just generally share their love for products that they have used, seen in action or want to try out. Let’s get them into the action and allow them to start earning their share with PalTip. PalTip is the easiest, fastest way to recommend products and earn money from those recommendations. It is a hassle free, time-saving method. You don’t have to waste your time and energy signing up for those complicated affiliate programs. PalTip does it all for you so you have more time to be with family and friends.

PalTip Partner Sites

PalTip has over 2500 partners and the list is growing all the time. In addition if you have a favorite site that is not on our list then by all means let us know.

This is a sample of some of our partners:
PalTip has been working on some additional awesome features and options that will be rolling out very soon, so stay tuned. Watch the blog, our Facebook and Twitter accounts for the breaking news!

PalTip Store Review: Zappos.com

Posted on September 6, 2012 by shari

We know you’ve been waiting for it, and now it’s finally happened. Zappos is now officially a PalTip Partner site.

Zappos.com is one of the best places to buy shoes online. They also have a wide range of other products from clothing and accessories to kitchen appliances and bedding. I usually write about customer service further down in the post, but with Zappos.com I am going to start with it. To quote the website,

“Customer Service Isn’t Just A Department!”

That is why Zappos.com is amazing; all they care about at Zappos is the customer. How do they do that?

1. Free Shipping – free shipping to all domestic orders with no minimum order.

2. Delivery- The website says 4-5 days, but orders often arrive early.

3. Free Returns – A lot of websites claim to accept returns, but then the fine print tells you that you’re responsible for return shipping, and some even take a restocking fee. Zappos.com states that if you are not happy with your purchase, return it in the original packaging and use the pre-paid UPS (USPS) label to send it to the warehouse. Once it is received, you will get a full refund.

A lot has changed since Nick Swinmurn opened Zappos in 1999. What hasn’t changed since then is his original vision for Zappos. His vision incorporated these three major points:

One day, 30% of all retail transactions in the US will be online.
People will buy from the company with the best service and the best selection.
Zappos.com will be that online store.

In 2009, Zappos.com was bought by Amazon. It has gone through a restructuring since then, but customer service still remains excellent.

What can you buy at Zappos?

Shoes, of course. Zappos has many different types of shoes divided into basic categories such as; Womens, Mens, Boys, and Girls. They also divide shoes into specific categories like width and other specialty classifications such as diabetic approved, orthotic friendly, eco-friendly, and vegan. They also have choices like heel height, material, style, and price.

Clothing:

Zappos has clothing for pretty much every size and shape, from newborn to plus sizes, for both men and women. They have something for everyone from name brands including:

Anne Klein
Adidas
Calvin Klein
Betsey Johnson
DKNY/DKNYC
Dockers
Elie Tahari
http://www.zappos.com/jones-new-york-collection
Kate Spade New York
Maggy London
The North Face
Rip Curl
Tommy Hilfiger
BCBGMAXAZRIA

Bags and Handbags

From your favorite backpack brand to the classy evening clutch, you will be able to find it on Zappos.com

Housewares and Décor

Would you really buy shoes and housewares in the same place? When it’s Zappos.com, you certainly would. They have top brands in every category at competitive prices.

Beauty

You no longer have to go to the fancy beauty and skin care shops to get your favorite fragrance or skin treatment. Zappos.com carries lines such as Stila, Calvin Klein, Bioelements, and Vera Wang.

Accessories

Second to shoes, accessories are my greatest weakness. How can you get a new pair of shoes without a matching bag, belt, and hat? Zappos carries all of those plus watches, scarves, gloves, ties, and jewelry. You can find a stunning tote by Cole Haan, or if you’re on a tighter budget, you can find sporty bags like this LeSportSac purse for only $48.

You can find more info about Zappos on their Facebook page or on Twitter, and be sure to take a look at their Pinterest boards, too!

Finding Your Niche – Where Is Your Passion?

Posted on July 31, 2012 by shari

Recently somebody asked me; “I want to blog, I want to make some extra cash, how do I find my niche?” Good question!

Niche

The idea of creating a blog that can monetized in order to bring home the extra bacon without leaving your home is nice, but it doesn’t really work that way.

How does it work?

Let’s go back to the question of “how do I find my niche?”

First, let’s focus on what you love. Where is your passion? What is your favorite thing to do?

It could be anything from bringing up your newborn to off-road biking to building computers from refurbished parts. Creating a business out of a personal passion is easier than starting from scratch. Remember that you will be spending hours upon hours researching and working on the topic, so being passionate about it makes it much easier.

Identifying Your Niche

Another way of identifying your niche could be by investigating your professional skills. Think of your expertise and how you can make an impact on a community with mutual interests. How can you become a valuable source of information on the chosen topic? How can you solve the pain of a particular community? If you can answer those questions, you might have found your niche.

Sounds good? Wait, that’s not all.

Taking your passion and knowledge into consideration is not enough. You also have to do the legwork and identify your target market. Although it might be your passion, you must study the ins and outs, research the size of the market, find out who your competition is, learn the language that the specific community speaks. Only then will you be able to figure out your monetization plan.

This takes time to do but is an essential first step towards your personal success. Think of it as a full-fledged business. Today, would you go into a business without creating a detailed business plan? Your new blog should be planned just as well.

As an exercise, write down the answers to the following:

Name 5 topics that you are passionate about
Name 3 skills in which you have an expert skill level
Ask friends and family to name 5 topics that they think you are passionate about
In each of your passions, pinpoint something that is missing, something that is causing you pain within your passion.

This will help you get your mojo into groove and help you find the niche, which will ultimately help you bring home the bacon.

Monetization

You have your niche, you have your plan, now add a simple way to monetize your blog. PalTip is a simple WordPress plugin that will save you hours upon hours in affiliate back-office link building and sign-ups.

How did you find your niche? Share with us your tips on finding your niche.